Resistance
by Penn O'Hara
Summary: Time for some Logan lovin'. Logan and Barek deal with Cheslea Watkins' campaign of vengeance.
1. Chapter 1

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

_**My LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins".**_

**_A/N: I'm still despairing at the lack of Logan fic out there and still desperately trying to fill the well.__ And I can tell you, Bobby is very annoyed at me for neglecting him. I've even enlisted the help of InfinityStar by laying down the gauntlet which she has valorously agreed to pick up. Watch for an upcoming Logan-fic from InfinityStar. Exciting, yes? Personally, I can't wait._**

_**Meanwhile, Resistance…**_

**oOo**

**The OnePP elevator opened with its familiar ping, the doors displaying the bland walls and corridor that led to Major Case's bullpen housing some of New York's finest criminal investigators.**

**Detective Mike Logan was one of their more seasoned detectives and was feeling buoyant and satisfied with his haul for the day. His suspect in the serial killing of Wall Street corporate lawyers was primed to fold and Logan was anticipating the interrogation where he would turn the final screw.**

**Allowing Falacci to precede him out of the elevator, Logan herded a cowed Dante ahead of him and up the corridor to the holding cells. He had shoved their perp, still claiming his innocence and threatening unjust arrest, into the back of the police vehicle, but by the end of the ride, Dante had lost his confident bluster and folded into a sniveling heap.**

**Ballinger, another OnePP veteran, his thin frame and pointed face reminding Logan of a greyhound, approached them from the other end of the corridor, his face split into a wolfish grin.**

**"Hey! Logan! I hear congratulations are in order." He clapped him on the back and halted, forcing Logan to stop, a hand closing firmly around Dante's upper arm.**

**"You sly dog, you," Ballinger grinned. "Who would have thought it?" He chucked Logan on the shoulder and continued toward the elevator.**

**Frowning, Logan looked to Falacci, who shrugged. Assuming Ballinger was referring to his cracking this case, Logan pushed Dante forward and through the double doors, veering right toward the holding cells, while Falacci headed back to her desk.**

**Logan was intercepted by Patillo, currently between partners and who was assisting Alex Eames while Goren was on suspension. Patillo pushed open a cell door and Logan nudged Dante into its confines, stepping back so Patillo could pull the door shut, a maneuver that was effortless for the big man built like a Mack truck.**

**"If it isn't the man of the moment," Patillo sniggered, the action at variance with his serious bulk. He tipped his head to the side. "I just can't picture it though. You and diapers. This I gotta see!"**

**His feet rooted to the spot, Logan's stunned gaze followed Patillo up the corridor. "Whaddya mean?"**

**Patillo laughed again. "You're losin' your edge…Pops." He disappeared out the door into the bullpen.**

**"What the hell!?" Logan surged after him, intent on catching up and demanding an explanation. Falacci met him at the doorway and barred his way, nodding toward the cold drinks machine by the wall.**

**"You'll wanna hear this," she said curtly, leading the way before he could protest.**

**Striding to the corner of the room she indicated, Logan leaned into her face. "Wanna hear what?" he demanded, itching to punch something. He eyed the drinks machine, seriously considering it. He hated it when people didn't get to the point and Falacci should know better by now.**

**"There's a rumor goin' round," Falacci said quietly. "Caught on like wildfire. Mel hijacked me as soon as I got to my desk."**

**"Mel's more full of hot air than a blimp," Logan scoffed, breathing easier. It was well known the office receptionist and resident gossip told more tales than truths.**

**"Well, this blimp's got Carolyn Barek in the family way and you the proud papa," Falacci said sagely.**

**"The fuck she has!" Logan's lip curled in a snarl. "No one takes any notice of her crap. And that one's fantasy."**

**Falacci's eyes were patiently sympathetic. "Normally, but the difference this time is her source works in the Chief of D's office and saw Barek discard a home pregnancy test in the restroom waste bin. She checked the result and saw it was positive."**

**"Who the fuck goes fishin' in restroom waste bins?!" Logan asked incredulously, alarm prickling at his neck.**

**"The Mels of the world," Falacci said, her mouth down turned.**

**His gut tightening, Logan dug out his cell phone and keyed in Carolyn's speed dial. Frowning at Falacci, he willed her to go away, but she shook her head, eyes wide.**

**"No way you're gettin' rid of me, _partner_, 'til I know for sure."**

**Logan wanted to stride off and leave her there, but he recognized her persistence and knew she would follow him anyway. Turning his back on her instead, he waited for Carolyn to answer.**

**"M…Mike?"**

**The hesitant and soft response from Carolyn had the prickling in this neck seize into a tight band and grip.**

**"Carolyn? I'm hearin' things in the office that a man shouldn't be the last to hear."**

**"Um, what would that be?" she bluffed, but Logan heard her resignation.**

**"_Shit, Carolyn! _Is it true?" He was finding it increasingly hard to breathe and realized it was because his heart was somewhere in his throat.**

**"Mike…"**

**This couldn't be done over a phone connection. "_Fuck! _Don't go anywhere, Carolyn. I'm on my way." He disconnected without waiting for her agreement and stowed his phone, fumbling at his pocket as his vision blurred and his head started to spin.**

**"Cover for me, Falacci," he snapped and made for the exit.**

**"Hey, Logan! Congrat—"**

**Someone called out to him as he passed and held out a detaining hand, but Logan brushed past them without recognition.**

**"Stow it!" he snarled.**

**oOo**

**Carolyn slumped in the chair inside her boss' office, aware Moran was speaking to her but hardly hearing the words. Even if she had wanted to run from Mike's threat of heading over, her flight was foiled by Ken Moran's request she join him in his office. She numbly obeyed his summons but found it impossible to concentrate on what he was saying.**

**She felt ill. Ill from the result of the home test she'd bought at lunch and from the knowledge that somehow the news had got to Mike at OnePP so freaking fast.**

**"Barek!"**

**Carolyn jumped, startled out of her sludged thoughts and tried to focus on her boss. "Sorry, sir. What was it you wanted?"**

**"I asked you if our trip to New Orleans was going to be a problem for you?" Moran repeated.**

**Carolyn groaned inwardly. That was something else she hadn't yet told Mike. The I.H.I.A. Symposium would mean another five day stopover for her with her boss. Carolyn recalled Mike's reaction to the Greensboro Conference with Chief of D's Bradshaw and the resulting 'Holly' incident as a result, and her stomach churned more.**

**"No, sir, no problem," she said, her voice flat, unable to meet his gaze or dredge up any enthusiasm. It was her job to accompany Moran wherever his responsibilities took him.**

**"What about your partner?"**

**"My partner?" Carolyn looked up, confused. Her new job didn't warrant a partner and that's the way she liked it. No more call-outs at ungodly hours either, which Mike still had to put up with.**

**Moran pulled a file toward him and, opening it, flipped through the pages. Stopping at one, he pointed a finger toward the bottom of the page. "My predecessor, Bradshaw, wrote in his report that the hotel that hosted the Greensboro L.E.I.M. Conference complained to him about some heavy handling late at night by one Detective Logan when he couldn't contact you there."**

**Carolyn cringed, realizing that Moran was asking if _Mike_ would have a problem with the trip. At this stage, she didn't know. And, damn Bradshaw. The man had it in for Mike and used any opportunity and reason to cite him.**

**"Chief of D's Bradshaw didn't approve of my relationship with Detective Logan, sir. He made that obvious whenever he could."**

**Moran eyed her with purpose tempered by consideration. "Your relationships are nothing do with me, Barek, but I do want to know if this one is going to be a problem while we are in New Orleans."**

**"No, sir. It won't be a problem." Carolyn prayed that it wouldn't.**

**"Well, I'm not so sure about that," Moran said, looking past her. "It would seem that Logan has been conjured up by the mere mention of his name and is heading our way with the finesse of an icebreaker at the North Pole."**

**Carolyn spun round, her mouth dropping. Mike _was_ cutting a swathe through the office. Other officers were smilingly approaching him but he was pushing through them, intent on reaching her desk. Seeing it empty, he only had a minor detour to reach her in Moran's office.**

**"Sir, if you wouldn't mind granting some personal time right now?" Carolyn asked hastily.**

**Moran waved a hand toward Logan nearly upon them. "Take all the time you need for the afternoon, Barek. I think you're gonna need it."**

**oOo**

_**Up next…well, I think you can guess at the fireworks.**_


	2. Chapter 2

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

_**Another photostory up on my Photobucket page. "Hero".**_

**oOo**

**Even knowing Mike was on his way to see her, Carolyn was unprepared for his steamroller reaction through the floor where she worked and she was too shell-shocked herself to keep a calm head for both of them. With the Chief of D's permission to take the rest of the afternoon off, she left her boss' office quickly, heading Mike off at the doorway, determined to get him out of there before the situation got out of hand.**

**Grabbing his arm, she swung him around to point him toward the exit. "There's a great little place where we can get a coffee—" she said quickly.**

**"I need more than _coffee, _Carolyn!" Logan said, not bothering to keep his voice down.**

**With his arm firmly in both her hands, she guided him through the hive of desks, her mind working furiously. She loved her man completely, but she was fully aware of his quirks and shortcomings. If one was to handle him badly, you'd encounter the short-fused Mike that was implacable, unreasonable and immovable. Handled carefully, he was protective, loyal and a hero of the underdog and that short fuse was damned exciting.**

**Carolyn desperately needed to handle him right.**

**Mike planted his feet. "Carolyn—"**

**Resorting to pushing him, Carolyn was breathless from effort. She looked up at him, hoping her face mirrored her desperation to get him out of there before a scene ensued, but he looked as determinedly stubborn to have it out where he stood.**

**"Hey, Logan!"**

**A hearty slap on his back rocked Mike, flashing irritation across his face.**

**"Let's see you get out of this hiccup," Benton, a co-worker of Carolyn's, grinned with machiavellian delight. "But it's gonna take you a lot longer than ten years."**

**Benton wheeled away laughing, leaving Carolyn cringing at the anger vibrating through Mike. She, too, was sick of the constant Staten Island jokes.**

**She tugged on his arm again. "Do you really wanna do this in front of these people?" she hissed.**

**She stumbled as his limbs unlocked, launching himself forward and dragging her with him. Now secretly thanking Benton's opportune insult, Carolyn allowed Mike to sweep her toward the elevator. With the doors shutting them in, she kept up a prattle about how her morning was spent deflecting calls from disgruntled Precinct Captains who didn't like the new order in the Chief of D's office.**

**"Moran's worth ten of Bradshaw," she said, glancing at Mike's face set in stone, then hurriedly deflected, "but some of the precinct heads don't like change."**

**"Carolyn…"**

**"They _need_ to be upended and have their eyes opened to the possibilities of reform," she continued quickly. "They just don't realize it."**

**"_Carolyn!_"**

**She was running on autopilot. "It's the only way we're going to keep up with the new breed of criminals this generation—"**

**"I don't give a damn—!"**

**Ignoring his outburst, Carolyn ushered Mike out of the building into the New York air carrying the last vestiges of a dying winter's chill. Carolyn shivered. She'd forgotten her coat in her haste to get Mike out of the office, but she wasn't risking going back for it.**

**Huddling into his side, she dragged him along the sidewalk, thankful the café was only a few doors down. "Here it is," she said, pushing him over the threshold and seeking a secluded table. "I've never bothered with anything other than our office issue but others say the coffee here is good—"**

**It was a favorable time to be there, after the afternoon activity and before the end-of-workday rush. She pushed him past the scarce customers and coaxed him onto a bench seat against the back wall and joined him. Pressing into his side, she nuzzled his neck hoping to dispel the edge of his anger, and felt a slight relaxing from him, but not for long.**

**He pulled away. "Carolyn…don't. That's not gonna work. Are you pregnant or not?"**

**Unable to meet his eye, she looked around the café instead. It was intimate and old-world, robust chairs and tables in a dark wood, pseudo-antique rather than the real thing, but it did promote an ambiance in which Carolyn could feel comfortable. A young waitress approached them, menus in one hand and steaming coffee in the other. Carolyn watched as she filled their cups, but waved away the menus and further attention.**

**"How did you find out?" Carolyn whispered, looking back at Mike.**

**His shoulders were slumped, head tilted, eyes narrowed over a thrust jaw. Despite their hips butting each other, he looked distant and unapproachable. Carolyn shivered, but she couldn't blame the winter air this time.**

**"_How?! _Everyone at Major Case — _both_ our offices — is congratulatin' me! What I don't understand is why _you_ didn't tell me."**

**Mike wasn't bothering to lower his voice, making Carolyn think the café wasn't such a good idea after all. "I haven't had a chance to assimilate it _myself!_" she hissed."Let alone work out how the hell I was gonna break the news to you!" She took a breath, clamping down on the panic that rose with her voice.**

**"You supposedly took a home test, for chrissake! You _suspected_ somethin'."**

**"I was late. You once boasted you knew my cycle. This shouldn't have come as a complete surprise to you."**

**"_Jesus! _Don't put this on me! Shit!" He rolled his shoulders and swung his head away. When next he spoke, his voice was lower, but no less damning and harsh. "Couldn't ya have waited 'til you got home to take the test?"**

**Carolyn did a double-take. "That's rich, Mike. _Real _rich. Did _you_ wait 'til _you_ got home to attack me about it? No! You come blazing both barrels into my workplace!" Her chest was heaving, suppressed anger bubbling out in rapid breaths. "I couldn't wait either. I had to know!"**

**"I'm… Hell, this is… Shit!" He thumped one hand on the table and rubbed his eyes with the other. "You couldda warned me…"**

**Carolyn felt ill again. She feared he wouldn't take it well, but his shock reeked of negativity. She hadn't planned this and she needed his support not his suspicions. "This wasn't deliberate. I had no intention—"**

**"You kiddin' me? There's no other explanation why an educated woman falls—"**

**Carolyn blinked over dry, smarting eyes. She was past caring about damping her anger. "You sanctimonious pig! You think I need to trap a man—"?**

**"I didn't say that!"**

**"You didn't have to!"**

**Mike grasped her upper arms in bruising hands. "Hell, Carolyn, I wanted to be consulted before becomin' a father! This isn't the first time a woman's— I'm in shock—"**

**"You're not the only one in shock here!" His hands were hurting, reminding Carolyn they were both losing control. "Dial it back, Mike," she warned, sweeping her forearms upward and breaking his grip, then took slow deep breaths herself. "Keep your voice down and calm down." She glared at him, communicating what she thought of his dumb-ass behavior. "We gotta think this through. Talk it out, not argue about how it happened."**

**Mike squeezed his eyes shut and nodded, reason finally overpowering his sense of injustice. Thumping both elbows onto the table, he rubbed his hands through his hair, locking fingers behind his neck. His shoulders dropping, he nodded again.**

**Reading acceptance in his bowed head, Carolyn let out her breath in a hopeful sigh. "What are we gonna do?" she asked.**

**Mike rolled back his shoulders, his gaze sweeping over her. "We get married. Have the kid. I guess you gotta take time off…"**

**"Mike, I don't want you marrying me out of obligation—"**

**"If I can knock a woman up, I can marry her."**

**Carolyn flinched at his crudeness, then came back fighting, seeking to wound him as he was hurting her. "What if I don't wanna marry you?"**

**Mike's head jerked back, his expression laughable. Carolyn realized he hadn't even considered she would deny him.**

**"My kid's gonna have my name," he insisted. "And a mother with the same name…"**

**"Mike…coming from you—" She left the sentence hanging. Mike Logan doing things by the book? That had to be a rarity.**

**"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?"**

**"Just that…well, you're not exactly a traditionalist."**

**He shrugged off her character evaluation, probably agreeing. "We've both seen what happens to kids from maladjusted backgrounds."**

**"And you'd know." Not bothering to disguise her sarcasm, she ignored his flare of temper, letting him pay for being a dumb-ass earlier.**

**"That's low, Carolyn," he said, giving her a side-ways look, acceding her point scored.**

**Mike leaned back against the wall, eyes heavenward and Carolyn could see his thinking process at work again as a myriad of subtle expressions shuttered across his face.**

**"Are you tellin' me you don't want to marry me now?" he asked, finally, reminding Carolyn it had been her idea since he'd moved in with her. "That's not the impression I was gettin' before."**

**"I don't want to force you into—"**

**"A bit late trying to convince me now. This kid is—"**

**"Detective Logan. Detective Barek."**

**A softly-deep voice interrupted, causing them both to look toward the short, stocky black woman standing beside their table. She was smiling at them over the top of her plastic rimmed glasses and a sliver of unease ran down Carolyn's spine, accelerating back up again to grab painfully at her neck.**

**"What are you doin' here?" Mike asked rudely.**

**The smile on the woman's face widened into a Cheshire cat grin. "Son, I _own_ here," she said, unperturbed by his insolence, "and I'm gratified you remember me."**

**Carolyn shifted on her seat, moving closer to Mike, inexplicably alarmed.**

**"That's not hard," Mike snarled, "considerin' I pull out your case file every chance I get to find a loophole to hang you on."**

**"The fact that you haven't found that loophole must mean it isn't there," the woman said, tipping her head to the side, no break in her smile nor amenability.**

**"No," Mike leaned across the table, glaring at her, "it just means I haven't found it yet."**

**The woman's smile melted, slipping out of her eyes and leaving them hard and cold. She turned to Carolyn and looked her up and down.**

**"I couldn't help over-hearing you," she said. "You weren't exactly keeping your voices down." The smile was back but there was no pleasantness in it. "It seems congratulations are in order. You two…" She swept Mike with a glare of disdain. "…have been a little more than… professional with each other."**

**"Get the fuck outta here!" Mike erupted from the table, but the woman countered his outburst with a cool lift of her shoulder.**

**"This is _my_ establishment, Detective. I'm not the one leaving." She turned back to Carolyn. "Detective Logan didn't take very good care of _my_ boys," she said, shaking her head sadly, then speared Carolyn with a vicious look.**

**Chesley Watkins' eyes narrowed into hard jet pebbles of dislike. "Let's hope he can manage to protect… _yours._"**

**Her breath clawing at her throat, Carolyn placed a protective hand on her stomach.**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


	3. Chapter 3

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

**Chapter Three**

**Bursting through the door as soon as Mike turned the key in the lock, Carolyn didn't care that it banged against the wall behind. She thrust her between seasons cap on the hat stand making it rock close to tipping and her coat missed its hook, falling in a heap on the floor.**

**"Shit!" Bending down she whisked the coat from the floor and swung around colliding with the hat stand, this time succeeding in sending it off balance so that it threatened to fall to the floor taking all of her favorite caps with it.**

**"Fuck!" Carolyn lunged for it but missed, Mike managing to save it and most of her hats before righting it.**

**"Settle down, babe," he said.**

**"What the hell for?" she snarled at him. She could feel the anger bubbling within her but was in no mood to contain it, instead, allowing it to escape in expletives and bad temper. "First I get attacked by a self-righteous, overbearing—"**

**"Dial it back, Carolyn," Mike warned. "I managed to calm down. Now you—"**

**"If that Watkins woman comes anywhere near me again—"**

**Mike grabbed both her shoulders and pulled her to him. "Hey, I can see she rattled you, but it was just empty threats." He smoothed the hair from her face, taking his time with the curl across her forehead. "She's pissed at me and was tryin' to score points. Don't let her get to you."**

**Closing her eyes with the caress, Carolyn sighed heavily, releasing the rest of her pent-up anger. "She scared me, Mike. I don't scare easily—"**

**"Don't I know it."**

**He folded her into his arms, molding her body to his, encouraging Carolyn to loosen up more. His warmth, solidness and left-over Tabac after-shave enveloped her, the relaxation giving way to something more primal and driving. Her body wakened, tingled and pushed against him seeking an answering response. Rubbing her face against his coat, her hands lifted and moved in the familiar routine of removing the clothing barriers to that warm smooth skin she loved to feel and taste.**

**"Hey!" Mike stepped back and held her at arms' distance. "Isn't that what got us into this mess?" he chuckled.**

**"_Mess?!_" Carolyn's mood evaporated in a hiss of indignant anger.**

**"I mean—No! I didn't mean—Hell! I was joking…"**

**"It's no joke, Mike." She glared at him, daring him to contradict her.**

**"I know. I'm sorry." He had the good grace to look sheepish, softening Carolyn's heart a little, but not completely. "But we haven't really…talked…this…out—" His hands flailed in the air.**

**"You're right. I need a drink. Sex woulda been nice, but wine's better." Carolyn headed for the kitchen, Mike following close behind.**

**"Should you? Be drinkin'?" he asked.**

**The look Carolyn gave him silenced him.**

**She opened the refrigerator and tossed a beer at Mike and poured herself a red wine. Leaning against the kitchen counter, she watched him drink half of the beer in one gulp, remembering he was as rattled by their situation as she was.**

**It was time to hit him with what she'd been chewing over since she saw the positive result at lunch time. "I gotta get to a doctor to confirm it first. If I _am_ actually pregnant, then I need to investigate the maternity options available to me and take it from there."**

**She took a sip of wine giving him time to interject. He said nothing, but hitched himself up on the sturdy wooden table behind him, watching her closely.**

**"As for marriage, it might be best to not rush into things." This time, she held up a hand as he opened his mouth to interrupt.**

**"It's what I want," she conceded, knowing he was about to remind her of the fact, "but I'm not convinced you think it's for you, despite wanting the baby to have your name. I'm prepared to give you some time to think about it…get used to the idea. The baby can still be a Logan without the benefit of a marriage certificate."**

**Carolyn paused as a shiver shook her. The thought of a little Logan running around her big apartment and sturdy antiques excited her, chasing away the last of her apprehension.**

**She smiled. "And, as you keep reminding me, _I _was the one who jumped you in the locker room. It was _my_ idea you move in with me and I didn't make it a secret I thought marriage and children were a possibility for us. So…" She swept her arms out in a 'it's up to you' gesture.**

**He put down his finished beer and took her still half-full glass of wine from unresisting fingers and placed it carefully on the counter top. Pulling her toward him, he nestled her between his spread legs, and took her mouth with his, kissing her deeply.**

**Carolyn gave herself up to the rightness of it: her conviction that she _would_ be spending the rest of her life with this man, and that there was none better to be father to her children.**

**Lifting his head, Mike's smile was a reassured quirk of his lips. "I got the strangest feeling just then," he said, sounding bemused. "That this felt so right, it can't possibly go wrong."**

**Carolyn beamed at him. "You just picked that off me. I got the same feeling."**

**"And just so you know," he growled, holding her closer, "I resent that 'wine's better than sex' comment."**

**Carolyn sighed into him with relief, the last breath of air before he kissed her again, catching in a prickle of portentous warning that she chose to ignore.**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


	4. Chapter 4

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

**Chapter Four**

**Stretching sleepily out of a dream, Carolyn turned into Mike's nuzzling lips at her neck.**

**The dream had been a pleasant one, in which she and Mike sat on a park bench, hand in hand, and watched faceless toddlers weave in and around the climbing frame of an adventure playground, somewhere in the heart of their city.**

**Carolyn believed dreams were the subconscious mind's way of sifting through problems and providing solutions for the conscious to grab and run with and the happy nature of the dream convinced her that her suspected pregnancy would work out just fine.**

**She wrapped her arms around Mike's back, pressing her body to his, rediscovering the hard naked length of him and not surprised by his body's answering interest.**

**Mike liked sex in the morning, considering it a good start to an unpredictable work day, and Carolyn was usually happy to oblige. This morning more so, considering the dream had left her in a good mood. Her body responded eagerly to his continuing caresses and roaming mouth. Rolling onto his back, he took her with him, lifting her carefully onto his chest and hips. His gentle kisses and the tender touch of his normally demanding hands confused Carolyn until she realized the cause of the change in his usual technique.**

**She pushed up from his chest and laughed down at him. "I'm not gonna suddenly break, you know."**

**His glazed eyes cleared a little. "I…I just thought…we…"**

**"If I'm pregnant? It's not going to curb your style for a while yet, Mike, and I for one, am feelin' particularly turned on right now, so…"**

**Carolyn grabbed the bedcovers and flung them behind her, clearing the bed's surface of any hindrances. She eyed his exposed flesh with speculation, her own body quivering as she debated where to start first.**

**"Oh, geezus," she groaned, "wanna know how I want it right now?"**

**He grinned with devilish intent and appreciation. "I guess I'm gonna find out."**

**"I think," she said, her eyes resting on him, an idea quickening her breath and making her mouth water, "I'm gonna test your limits this morning."**

**oOo**

**"Barek, this is for you."**

**Carolyn looked up from the paper in her hand, dropping it to her desk as her frown cleared at the sight of a large coffee carton in her colleague's hand. The sounds of the office around her sharpened as her attention waned from the complex report she had been trying to decipher.**

**It was well past eleven in the morning and she could do with a shot of caffeine, determined to enjoy the little vices before they were prohibited to her. If she _was_ pregnant, she wasn't going to deny herself everything, but would moderate. She hadn't needed a morning coffee before work, her senses euphoric enough after her session in bed with Mike to keep her going until hitting the snag in the paperwork in front of her.**

**Chas Mulligrew handed the coffee to her but dismissed her appreciative thanks.**

**"It's not from me," he said with a toss of his balding head. "A youth delivered it at reception and said it was for you. I just happened to be talkin' to Suzie at the time and decided to bring it up for you. I didn't know you could get coffee delivered 'round here."**

**Mulligrew moved off toward his desk leaving Carolyn to stare at the cream cardboard cup in her hand. The words 'Chesley's Coffee House' were written diagonally in brown across its side, in an ornate sweeping font. Underneath, and in smaller print, were the words 'Great Coffee, Better Baking'.**

**Standing, Carolyn slowly lowered the cup to her desk, eyeing it as if it were suddenly about to explode.**

**"Mulligrew!" she called, catching the detective's attention before he settled in his nearby chair.**

**"What is it, Barek?" he asked, surprised.**

**"Describe the … youth that delivered this."**

**She pointed to the coffee and the surprise on Mulligrew's face turned to confusion. "Uh, twelve years old, maybe thirteen, thin, all angled bones, black, kinda sad look on his face…"**

**"Did he say anything?"**

**Mulligrew shook his head, looking from the coffee cup to her backing away from it. "Other than the coffee was for Miss Barek. Nothin' else. You don't want it? I'll have it if you don't—"**

**"No! Don't touch it." She couldn't explain her qualms without losing credibility so she cloaked her suspicions in confident professionalism. "I want the lab to run its contents."**

**"Ya kiddin' me."**

**"No, I'm not. Thanks, Mulligrew. I'll…I'll do it myself." Carolyn waved him away, then picked up the phone and dialed Forensics.**

**oOo**

**"Who's payin' for this?" Richmond asked with a suspicious sniff, his beady dark eyes and thin face helping him look like the lab rat he was. He held the coffee cup to the light above his work bench, skepticism written across his face.**

**"Can't you write it off to one of your other cases?" Carolyn asked hopefully, but judging from his shocked reaction, realized her chances weren't good.**

**"Nope." His answer was immediate and decisive. "Not without the authorization of a 'D' working an active case."**

**Carolyn blew exasperated air through her lips, looking around the lab, desperate for inspiration. "Whose cases have you got at the moment?"**

**Richmond pulled his clipboard from a shelf beside him and scanned the top page. "Rosenblaum and Peters, Santonelli and Kychec, that's a rush job, Logan and Falacci, that one's on go-slow 'cos she's so pissy, Bryant and—"**

**Carolyn almost laughed in relief. Her man always managed to meet her needs. "Wait right there," she ordered, digging her cell phone out of her jacket.**

**Mike picked up on the third ring. "Hey, babe, what's up? Besides me," he chuckled.**

**Carolyn grimaced. Sometimes his crude sense of humor amused her; sometimes it stuck in her craw. "Mike, can you do me a favor?"**

**"This mornin' wasn't enough?" His voice held more than a touch of disbelief. "That was really somethin' but if you want more—"**

**"Holster it, cowboy, and get serious. I want you to authorize an analysis for me with Richmond in Forensics. I'll pass you over—"**

**"Whoa! Why do you need me to authorize anything?" There was a pause during which Carolyn tried to think of a plausible reason, but a budding idea was quelled by his expletive. "_Shit!_ You're not gettin' Richmond to do a pregnancy test—?"**

**"No! _Hell, no._" She sighed heavily and turned her back on Richmond's impatient scowl. There were times when only the truth would serve. This was one of them.**

**"A cup of coffee got delivered to me this morning. It came from Chesley Watkins' coffee shop. I…" This was sounding stupid now that she had to voice her suspicions. "I don't…trust…anything that comes from her. I wanted an analysis done on it."**

**"A cup of coffee." Mike was sounding as skeptical as Richmond looked.**

**"Y…yes." Carolyn braced herself for the inevitable brush-off of her fears.**

**It didn't come.**

**"Give me Richmond."**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


	5. Chapter 5

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

**Chapter Five**

**"You're sure?" Carolyn asked, feeling unreasonably disappointed by the Forensic report. Because her suspicions had been ungrounded, she was in danger of appearing paranoid.**

**Richmond's face pinched in indignation that she doubted him. "I won't bombard you with the chemical composition of the sample, but all you've given me is high grade coffee beans, low fat milk and water loaded with lead content. If that's what I'm drinkin' from the faucet, I gotta buy more bottled water." He picked up the paper cup now emptied of its contents and handed it back to Carolyn. "What were you hopin' for?"**

**Hiding her confusion in professionalism, Carolyn slipped an evidence bag from the shelf behind Richmond and bagged the cup. "I'm not sure yet. Just covering my bases."**

**The lab technician's sniff of disdain did nothing to placate Carolyn's frustration.**

**Hooking an arm through hers, Mike steered her toward the lab's exit. "Come on, I'll walk you back."**

**Carolyn chewed on her lip as she allowed him to lead her out of the lab. "I over-reacted, didn't I?" she said quietly, appreciating his support.**

**"Maybe, but you were right not to drink it." He loped slowly beside her, and Carolyn wondered if he had to measure his steps differently with his new partner, Falacci. "I woulda just tipped it down the drain."**

**Carolyn frowned up at him. "What's Watkins motive? For sendin' it to me?"**

**"To rattle you. Annoy me. Think she succeeded?" he grinned.**

**"Yeah, she did," she sighed. "Damn. I fell for it."**

**Mike squeezed her arm, drawing her closer to his side. "You could have a good excuse. Been to the doctor yet?"**

**Being reminded her life might get more complicated didn't help the tight band of nerves pulling at her neck. She absently rubbed her shoulder trying to release the pressure. "No, I got an appointment at two."**

**"Want me to come?"**

**A warm flush of appreciation washed over her. Carolyn felt as if her skin was glowing from his consideration. She searched his face for _his_ motive. Apprehension as to the outcome? An expectation of duty? But his eyes were clear and questioning, his brows raised waiting for her answer.**

**Mike Logan and innocence seemed so out of place she had to smile. "Yes, I do."**

**She looked ahead, hiding her surprise at how well he was taking the suspected pregnancy. Maybe it hadn't hit him yet how life-changing this would be for him.**

**"Could be embarrassing if it's negative, though," she warned. "The Doc might think we're some desperate couple tryin' to fall pregnant and you'll confuse him when you jump up and whoop with relief and—"**

**Mike stopped short and grasped her shoulders, pulling her around to face him. Ignoring the other personnel walking past them in the corridor, he held her in a light embrace. "Hey, I might react a little relieved 'cos I wasn't plannin' on this but…I _am_ gettin' used to the idea."**

**"Thanks, Mike. That means a lot…"**

**"Comin' from me…"**

**"I didn't say that."**

**"You didn't have to."**

**Recalling their argument from yesterday, Carolyn recognized her own words to him. "_Touché." _**

**She was so swamped by love for him, it pounded at her like a hammering ocean wave. Uncaring that colleagues might see them, Carolyn put her arms around him and pulled his head down for her kiss.**

**oOo**

**Mike pushed open the doors that led to reception and Carolyn preceded him, warmed by his attention and the thorough necking in which they'd indulged. She'd never suspected Mike would be so demonstrative in public, but it could tie in with his not being shy to display his temper.**

**On their way through, Suzie halted them with a call from her desk.**

**"Detective Barek! There was a letter delivered for you." Suzie flipped through some documents at her elbow and flourished an envelope in the air.**

**Carolyn retraced her steps and took the envelope with a nod of thanks. Joining Mike at the elevator, she pulled out the single page within, then pressed her lips together, her mouth hardening. "What the—?" She passed the note to Mike, her good mood evaporating in a stab of anger.**

**"What?" Mike held the letter but looked at her.**

**"Read it."**

**He looked down at the paper, his brows knitting. "'_Hope you enjoyed the coffee. In your condition, it could be your last. C.W_.' What the fuck!"**

**Carolyn whirled around and headed for the door, fury erupting in an uncontrollable rush. "Lemme at her!"**

**"Whoa!" shouted Mike, catching up and grabbing her arm. "She's yankin' your chain. Don't give her the satisfaction—" The anger within her must have been mirrored in her eyes, because he pulled back in a jab of shock. "Calm down, Carolyn. You can't let her—"**

**"That's a blatant threat, Mike!"**

**"A threat?! You won't get any sorta charge stickin' to her." She realized his lowered voice was an attempt to keep their business to themselves, but Carolyn was past caring.**

**"I don't wanna charge her, but I _do_ wanna give her a piece of my mind." She locked eyes with his, her body shaking with fury.**

**Mike shrugged, pocketed the letter and pushed open the outside door, stepping back to allow her to go first.**

**Gratified he didn't intend to stop her, Carolyn swept through it, Mike in her angry wake.**

**oOo**

**Standing rigid at the counter of the coffee shop, Carolyn's muscles were tight with temper and starting to ache. Attempting to take deep breaths to keep herself under control, she impatiently waited for the waitress to inform Watkins she wanted to speak with her. The waitress had disappeared through a door at the back of the shop and was yet to reappear.**

**"She's doin' this deliberately," Carolyn gritted. "Psychological advantage in makin' us wait."**

**"Judgin' from the look on your face, it's workin'," Mike said, unperturbed when she turned her glower onto him.**

**"Detectives…" The smooth deep voice behind her was silk on sandpaper.**

**Carolyn spun around, teeth bared.**

**"How good of you to visit my establishment again," Watkins continued. "I will point out that only the first coffee is free though." Her smile's lack of sincerity was directed at Mike. "Even for New York's…finest." Watkins' lip curled up on the last as she eyed him with undisguised malevolence.**

**Carolyn's anger renewed at the blatant insult. She'd had a gutful of this woman.**

**"We gotta talk," Carolyn clipped, eyeing the waitress hovering behind the counter.**

**Watkins inclined her head toward a table for four near the window. "I hope this won't take long. The lunch rush will start soon. I'll be needed in the kitchen."**

**If Carolyn had her way, the only kitchen Chesley Watkins would see was the one inside the women's prison on Rikers. Carolyn bit her lip to prevent her from voicing the wish, but she exchanged a look with Mike over the top of Watkins' head and the quirk of his lips told her he was thinking the same thing.**

**The waitress followed them to the table with a pot of coffee but Carolyn impatiently waved her away.**

**Mike nodded his acceptance to the girl then snapped a grin at Watkins. "If I'm paying for it," he said, "I hope it's bottomless."**

**"As bottomless as the grief you've brought me, Detective," Chesley said, lowering herself to a chair opposite.**

**Mike's grin slipped. "I didn't see much grievin' at the Courthouse that day. I only saw smug self-satisfaction."**

**Her lids slowly lowered over her eyes, before opening to look back at him. "I internalize my emotions."**

**Carolyn simmered, desperately trying to internalize hers, but she couldn't keep the contempt out of her voice. "Cut the crap, Watkins." Leaning over the table-top, she looked into the woman's dark eyes blanked of emotion.**

**Unlike Watkins, Carolyn wasn't adverse to allowing her ultimatum to be seen before she delivered it. "You will _not_ send me or mine any more coffee or pathetically taunting notes. You will stay out of our way and our lives."**

**She didn't bother with an 'or else'. She didn't need to. Watkins wasn't stupid. She would know an officer of the law had ways and means they didn't need, nor want, to advertise.**

**Watkins' eyes wavered for an instant, a spark of hate flickering before being immediately doused. Her gaze slid toward Mike.**

**"Don't look at him," Carolyn snapped. "This is between you and me now." Carolyn was fully aware Mike could look after himself in any situation, but if she could take Watkins down for both of them, it would be doubly satisfying.**

**"I think you'd better leave," Watkins said, the smooth voice cracking at the end.**

**Carolyn stood. "We were."**

**She waited for Mike. After a brief hesitation where she could sense his battle with delivering his own ultimatum or allowing her the last word, he slowly got to his feet. A protective arm around her shoulders, he guided her through the tables and out onto the street.**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


	6. Chapter 6

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

**Chapter Six**

**Unable to sit still any longer, Carolyn jumped up from the seat in her Doctor's private room and walked toward the large bay window overlooking the street below. Her eyes flickered from couples strolling past, arm in arm, with no goal other than to take pleasure in an unseasonal balmy New York afternoon to singles hurrying somewhere too important to allow time to enjoy the simpler pleasures.**

**As a woman walked past pushing a well-sprung stroller, its plush design disguising its occupant, Carolyn tried to imagine herself a mother — mother and wife. Something she thought she wanted, but now presented with the real possibility…**

**Pulling back from the window, she swung around to scan the closed door through which her Doctor had disappeared. "What's takin' him so long?" she fretted, then walked back to Mike, sitting forward in his seat, his hands clasped between his knees.**

**Mike grimaced. "I'm guessin' your Doc's a shrewd man. He's worked out you don't go tellin' women they're pregnant unless you're totally sure."**

**Carolyn looked wildly into his stoic face then headed toward the window again. "Shit. I can't believe I'm actin' this way." She spun on the spot, her hands wide. "Do you recognize me?"**

**"Nope." He shook his head, then held her desperate gaze. "Which is why I'm thinkin' you _are_ pregnant."**

**"Shit!"**

**"Come 'ere…" He held out a hand to her, beckoning her back over.**

**Hesitating, Carolyn was tempted, but she figured she was too tense to relax even with the aid of Mike's brand of comfort. "I'm goin' crazy—"**

**"Carolyn! So sorry to keep you waiting."**

**Doctor Renshaw breezed back into the room with a crisp white paper in one hand and a crystal tumbler in the other. He handed the paper to Carolyn and the tumbler half-full of a dark amber liquid to Mike, then perched on the edge of his desk, beaming.**

**"You get the results," he said to Carolyn, then looked at Mike, "and _you_ get the bourbon." He chuckled, his ample girth bobbing with his amusement. "One time I was distracted and gave the liquor to the mother-to-be and the results to the new father. The latter fainted and I had to wrest the booze from my patient to revive her husband. Haven't made that mistake since." He folded his arms and grinned happily at them.**

**Carolyn barely heard his chatter, mesmerized by the fine black letters that danced up at her from the report in her hand. She finally looked over at the doctor, gripped with shock now that her suspicions were irrevocably confirmed.**

**"Don't go looking at me like that, my girl," Renshaw said with the ease of knowing his patient well. "You're well in your thirties. It's high time you found yourself a good fellow and procreated along with the rest of us." He sighed contentedly. "My seven are a blessing."**

**He eyed Mike, grilling him silently, then nodded firmly. "And yes, I like this fellow. You've done yourself proud." Renshaw rolled from his desk and headed for the door. "Now, shoo, go home and make big plans for little feet." Laughing at his own joke, he held the door open, waiting. "Predicting from your usual cycle, you're only six weeks. No need to cramp your style…" He nodded toward Mike. "…or his. Come back and see me in another month, and I'll start preparing you for the joys ahead of you."**

**Carolyn walked numbly to the door then remembered to look back for Mike. He was staring into the now empty tumbler as if hoping it would miraculously refill. Renshaw took the glass from Mike's nerveless fingers, then pointed toward Carolyn standing rigid at the door.**

**"Your lady's that way. You look after her and you'll both be fine."**

**oOo**

**"Your Doc..." Mike said as they emerged into the street, "He's kinda easy-goin' about it all."**

**"He's got seven…" Carolyn said dazedly.**

**"I need a drink." Mike looked up and down the street outside the surgery as if willing a bar to materialize.**

**"You…just…had…one."**

**"I need another one. We could play hookey," he said hopefully.**

**"I…I can't. I promised Moran I'd sort out that report— _Shit! _I'm _pregnant_."**

**"Yeah, you are."**

**"Shit!"**

**"I thought _I'd_ be the one doin' all the swearin'—"**

**Carolyn gave a half-smile. "Yeah, I thought so too." She looked up at him in bemused desperation. Despite the 'needing a drink' comment, he looked composed and comfortable, not terrified like her, nor resigned to responsibility. "Mike—"**

**"Babe…It's okay. I'm okay with it. It'll be good for us. Honest." He dug his hands in his pockets and gave her an embarrassed, almost coy smile. It looked so out of place on him, she had to smile back.**

**She kissed him quickly, then stood back, her shoulders dropping. The reality of the situation and all it entailed hit her, making her wonder why she ever thought it would be what she wanted. "God, I hope so."**

**She let him fold her to him, and rested her head against his chest. Once again, being in his arms like this, righted everything for her; made her feel cherished and capable of handling anything.**

**It _would_ be good for them.**

**"I wanna make a detour before we go back to work," she said decisively, pulling out of his arms, then dragged him up the street.**

**oOo**

**Walking past the school nearby, Carolyn hoped to see the children out playing within the fenced compound. To see some little persons, to give some grounding to her imagination as she pictured a small edition of Mike and herself.**

**They lucked school out time. Women dominated the pavement in hovering singles and in chattering groups, but there were some fathers and a varied assortment of SUVs lined the street.**

**Their magnet, a seemingly deserted building, came alive with the short ringing of a bell, heralding a stampede of feet. The double front doors burst open and children poured out of it to be scooped up by waiting parents, herded to their respective vehicles to disappear from sight. The process lasted less than ten minutes, only stragglers remaining under the watchful eye of a young woman who appeared to be a teacher.**

**Carolyn gazed with interest at a little girl sitting on the steps, her elbows resting on drawn up knees, chin in her palms. The mutinous look on her face told Carolyn she wasn't happy about something — that something probably being abandoned at school after the bell. A rainbow colored woolen beanie was pulled down over long dark hair, and darker brows knit into a frown that didn't lighten with some quiet words from the teacher.**

**"Mike…" Carolyn nudged his attention in the direction of the little girl. "She could be—"**

**"Yeah," he nodded. "I've already gone there."**

**Carolyn's heart steadied, the apprehension of her future dispelling slightly, replaced by the anticipation of a beautiful child of Mike's and her making. She wrapped both hands around Mike's arm and pulled herself to his side.**

**"I don't want our kid to ever feel like that," he said, nodding toward the girl. "We're gonna be there for her."**

**"Yeah," Carolyn agreed. "Always."**

**"Can I help you?"**

**The young teacher approached, keeping her body between them and the small child they had been studying.**

**"Ah, no, I…we… I'm sorry, we're leaving now." Carolyn backed away, but Mike stood his ground.**

**"How many times does she…" Mike indicated the girl on the steps. "…get left here?"**

**"I'm afraid that's none of your business," the teacher said firmly, her demeanor softening only slightly when Mike showed her his badge. "I'm sorry, Detective, I have to be careful."**

**Mike nodded. "She doesn't look happy about still bein' here."**

**The young woman shrugged. "We never allow her to wait alone and Bianca is very…demanding. She has a fiery nature. Her mother tries hard, but…doesn't really know how to handle her."**

**Mike swung a glance down at Carolyn who glowered back at him. "Sounds familiar," he said and thanked the teacher for her time.**

**"_I'm _not the one with the temper," Carolyn said tersely as they walked away.**

**"Yeah, but you _are_ very demanding," he chuckled, swooping down to nuzzle her neck.**

**She held her stern look, but tipped her head to give him better access, shivering at the touch of his lips on her skin.**

**Sighing, she kept step with him as they made their way back to her office.**

**Things were good between them.**

**A child could make it even better.**

**oOo**

**Returning to her building just after four that afternoon, Carolyn realized she didn't have much time to complete that report for Moran before he was due to leave for the day. She hurried toward her desk with the purpose of blocking out thoughts of her personal situation to focus on her professional duties for the rest of the workday.**

**"You got another admirer?" Mulligrew threw at her as she passed his desk.**

**"What d'ya mean?" Carolyn asked him, stopping short.**

**Mulligrew inclined his head toward her desk. "You got another delivery."**

**Sitting on top of the closed file she'd been working on earlier was a large muffin; chocolate chip judging by its color and texture. She didn't need to read the ornate letters on the paper patty advertizing that it came from Chesley Watkins.**

**Concentration on her job evaporated; the aftermath of the tender closeness she had shared with Mike earlier was rent by the jolt of rage that consumed her.**

**Walking with quick determined steps toward her desk, Carolyn picked up the muffin and threw it full force into the wall nearby.**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


	7. Chapter 7

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

**Chapter Seven**

**Logan took his time getting back to his desk.**

**He had plenty to think about and he hoped he could avoid Falacci's grilling at least until tomorrow. Maybe she would be out chasing a lead without him.**

**But although no one stopped him on his way through the ballpen, his luck didn't extend to Falacci. She was working on her laptop at Wheeler's desk and looked up with a grin when she saw him.**

**"Where've you been?" she asked. "When you told me to cover for you, I didn't know it would be for the rest of the day."**

**"Out," he said, pulling out his chair and throwing himself into it. Logan yanked open his bottom drawer and flipped through the files suspended there, avoiding her gaze. Selecting the one he wanted, he threw it on his desk.**

**"Out…where…?" Falacci closed the lid on her laptop and rested her elbows on it, digging in for the duration. "This mornin' you go out to see Richmond about somethin' and don't get back 'til after four... What gives?"**

**"Don't you ever mind your own business?" he gruffed, opening the file he'd chosen and making a show of perusing it. It was the one he and Carolyn started on Chesley Watkins and he wanted to concentrate on it.**

**"Nope. Now tell me." She laughed, unabashed by his rudeness.**

**_Damn Falacci._She wore her kick-ass mentality like a badge of honor. "Richmond came up with nothin'." He headed her off with a half-truth.**

**"Nothin' 'bout what? You don't mean _our_ case. I already called him."**

**"_Nothin'!_" he insisted, his head still down.**

**There was a pause where Logan hoped she'd given up and gone back to her laptop.**

**"I'm not goin' _anywhere_, partner," she said quietly but firmly and Logan blew out his frustration.**

**"_Geezus!_ I took Carolyn to the Doctor's. Okay?"**

**Falacci's chair squealed as she leaned forward. "No kiddin'! And…"**

**Logan's shoulders dropped, giving up the battle. "She's pregnant."**

**"Yee-ha!" Falacci whooped.**

**"_Keep it down, will ya!?_" he insisted, looking around the room in alarm.**

**"Why?" She straightened in her chair and threw out her hands. "Everyone's heard the rumor. Now it's no longer a rumor. Congratulations!"**

**Logan wiped a hand across his jaw. "Yeah, well I'm not so sure I'm doin' this kid any favors."**

**Falacci sucked in her cheeks, tipping her head to the side. "You'll be fine. Parenthood is the most natural thing in the world."**

**"And from what I've seen…the easiest thing to fuck up."**

**"True," Falacci nodded. "Just call me anytime you need advice." She leaned across the desk and tapped Watkins' file. "Whatcha got there?"**

**"An old case file."**

**"Need any help with it? I'm sick of the current one we're on goin' nowhere."**

**Logan considered keeping his partner in the dark, then changed his mind. Maybe Falacci could find the loophole he'd been seeking.**

**He passed the file over to her with a flourish, then folded his arms across his chest and grimaced.**

**"It's a multiple homicide. Carolyn and I caught the case over a year ago. The foster mom is the master mind, but we can't get any evidence to stick to her and she keeps killin' off her accomplices before we can get them to roll on her. I keep revisitin' it when I get the chance, but she's turned it personal now. She's harassin' Carolyn."**

**"Fuck." Falacci flicked her eyes up to look at him before returning to scan the documents. "Revenge?"**

**"More of a nuisance at the moment, but hell, I want her off the streets anyway."**

**"What's she doin' now?" She peered at him again and Logan could tell she was interested.**

**"Opened a fuckin' coffee shop right under our noses. Can you believe it?"**

**Falacci pursed her lips and went back to flipping through the file. "Nasty piece of goods," she commented, perusing a page.**

**"That's why I don't wanna her anywhere near Carolyn."**

**The phone on his desk rang and he automatically picked it up. "Logan."**

**"Ken Moran here," the caller identified himself. "I don't normally do this, but I figured Carolyn might keep close about it and I thought you should know, Detective."**

**"Know what?" Logan demanded, fighting unfamiliar panic, his head jumping to a myriad display of unpleasant scenarios.**

**"I knew about the doctor's appointment," Moran explained. "After she got back…she…" In the pause, Logan got a gut-wrenching picture of Carolyn fainting on the floor of the Chief of D's office and half-rose out of his chair.**

**"She threw a muffin into the wall," Moran continued and Logan sat down again with a thump. "I sent her home. I'm figurin' it's only raging hormones — my wife went through it. I suggested she get you to collect her but she refused. That's why, the phone call…"**

**Relief flooded over concern then was replaced by gratitude toward Moran. "Thanks," Logan said and meant it. The man was human like Carolyn said. Logan hung up the phone and looked at Falacci.**

**"Carolyn's having problems—"**

**"Shit! No kiddin'…"**

**Logan appreciated the concern on Falacci's face. "I wanna go find her—"**

**"Mi…ke?"**

**He swung round to see Carolyn standing at his elbow, looking dazed and out of it. Jumping up, he grabbed her hands. "What happened?!"**

**The paleness of her normally olive complexion and the blankness in her eyes had his heart racing with alarm.**

**"Someone's following me…"**

**"Following—! _Who?! _How do you know?"**

**"A…a black youth…" Her hands were ice and Logan covered them with his own, squeezing them harder.**

**"He…he was following me…and another one…then someone bumped into me…on his pushbike…" She craned her head to look behind her. "My hip…it hurts..."**

**"_Shit! _If this is Watkins—" Logan searched her face for confirmation, his blood boiling through him.**

**"I found another… offering from her." She looked back at him, her eyes wide. "On my desk. A chocolate chip muffin." She pulled a face of disgust.**

**Logan carefully guided her to his chair. "I…blew a fuse," Carolyn explained.**

**Discreetly, he pulled her shirt from the waistband of her skirt and found a large semi-round purpling bruise the size of his fist. She could have been punched by a man's fist or hit by an extension of the pushbike.**

**"_Fuck!_" Logan looked wildly at Falacci.**

**"Go!" his partner said. "I'll look after her."**

**"Um, if Alex is here…" Carolyn ventured, looking around.**

**Logan squeezed her shoulder, wanting to do more, but right now he wanted Watkins' head on a plate the most. "Falacci'll find Alex. I'll be right back."**

**He gave her another squeeze and left, his hand reflexively checking for his gun.**

**oOo**

**By the time Logan reached the coffee shop, he was primed for murder. Instead of using the time to calm his reaction to Carolyn's assault, he had conceived and ultimately rejected a variety of means of making Chesley Watkins suffer for ever contemplating getting at him through Carolyn.**

**When his demand to see Watkins was met with a disinterested shrug of the waitress' shoulder and an explanation that she wasn't there, his temper erupted.**

**"I don't believe you!" he shouted. "She owns this place. She's gonna be here!"**

**The waitress stepped back, her lackluster eyes suddenly alive with apprehension.**

**"Ms Watkins goes home after three," she said breathlessly. "She baby-sits…"**

**"The hell she does! Social Services wouldn't let her anywhere near another foster kid."**

**"No! She doesn't foster." The waitress continued to eye Logan with uncertainty, but was quick to explain, maybe with the hope of getting rid of him. "She baby-sits kids after school. For working mothers. She says all kids should have someone home for them after school…"**

**Chesley Watkins in charge of more kids. It appalled him. "_Where_ does she do this?" he demanded.**

**"At her house. She picks them up after school…"**

**Logan left her standing there mid-sentence.**

**oOo**

**Organizing a background check from his cell phone, he confirmed Watkins still lived at her old address. He headed his sedan toward her neighborhood while he made a call to Falacci, checking that Carolyn was okay.**

**"She's fine," his partner assured him, diluting some of the anger within him. "She's with Alex. I've been deliberately vague about where you've gone… said it was somethin' to do with an old case. I just didn't say whose old case. She's assumed it's one of ours."**

**"How does she look?" he asked, remembering the glazed look in her eyes and over her skin.**

**"After we got some hot coffee into her and a cold compact on her bruise, she came good. Said she overreacted to the muffin thing. Told us not to worry."**

**Logan smiled at that, relaxing more. "That sounds like Carolyn."**

**"Yeah, she's a gutsy lady. I figured she'd have to be to take you on."**

**He even chuckled, chasing the last shreds of temper from him. "If we're talkin' popularity contests here—"**

**"Yeah, go on with ya. So? When are you comin' back?"**

**"I'm on my way to Watkins' house now." He hit the turn-off and powered into the corner, the car an extension of his anger. It helped to keep his voice even. He didn't want Falacci to get even a breath of how he really felt. "To pay a friendly visit. Keep Carolyn with you until I get back, okay?**

**"Gotcha. Take care, partner. You don't want to add more fodder to your personnel file."**

**"As if I ever let that worry me."**

**Logan closed his cell, swung the car into Watkins' driveway and killed the engine.**

**oOo**

**The house hadn't changed — the same peeling paint, the same disinterested garden, its exterior devoid of personality. It reflected Watkins' knack to be a carer without the warmth of true caring.**

**She opened the door to him with a lack of surprise on her face that indicated she had anticipated his visit.**

**"Don't expect me to invite you in, Detective," she said, opening the door fully but planting herself on the threshold, barring his access.**

**Her blasé amusement at his scowl flared his simmering anger. "I don't need to come in to say what I have to say."**

**Her only response was a raise of non-existent brows.**

**"I wanna see the youths you set on Carolyn. Then when I'm finished with them—"**

**Two boys of about seven or eight came charging up the steps behind him, their dark faces alight with glee at the sight of him.**

**"Hey mister! We saw you drive up," one said without any hint of shyness. He was well-fed and clothed, his fist closed tightly around a GI Joe doll. "Are you a real cop? You got a light sittin' on the dash of your car! Does it flash? I told Jeremiah here you were a cop and he said, nah, you were just pretendin', real cops have the flashing lights on _top_ of their cars."**

**"Benton told me you were undercover, but spies wouldn't have _any_ flashing lights," Jeremiah piped up, not to be outdone in the conversation. He looked in disappointment at the doll in his hand, a GI Joe in a dark suit and tie, and gave the doll's sleeve a tug. "I wish Detective Logan could go undercover but he doesn't have any street clothes." His lip dropped. "Mizz Watkins only made him a black suit."**

**Watkins put her hand on Jeremiah's cap of curly black hair and urged him behind her. "I'll make him some, son. Then he can go undercover."**

**"And my GI Joe'll shoot him dead!" Benton whooped. "'Cos he'll think he's the enemy!"**

**Watkins moved aside to usher Benton behind her as well. "You take Jeremiah and go wash up for the milk and cookies I made you," she said, not taking her eyes from Logan's narrowed ones. "I'll be in soon."**

**Logan had a mental picture of Watkins touching his child, pretending to care and nurture like she thought she was with these boys, when really she was merely priming murderers.**

**"You got a kid playin' with a doll named after me?" Logan said, his voice low and lethal. "How warped is that?!"**

**She turned a defiant chin to him. "The boy wants to be a policeman when he grows up, not a soldier like Benton does. A NYPD uniform was too tricky to make, so I sewed him a suit and tie instead. Jeremiah asked if I knew any real detectives and I told him I had…dealings with a Detective Logan once. He pounced on the name and it stuck." She folded her arms across her chest. "Now you wanted to see them about something? Though how you think I could set two little boys on—"**

**Logan clamped down on a curl of temper. "Not them. The youths that assaulted Carolyn," he gritted.**

**Watkins spread her hands out. "There's only Jeremiah and Benton and myself here. You're not welcome to look, but I can assure you—" She started to close the door.**

**Logan moved in close, leaning his hip against the door jamb before she could shut him out. "The only thing you can assure me of is that you'll keep the hell away from Carolyn. If you got a beef, you take it up with me. Understand?"**

**Looking up at him from under heavy lids, Watkins pressed her lips together. "I suggest you leave, Detective. You've overstayed your welcome."**

**"And you've overstepped your mark." Logan bent closer, bringing himself down to her level.**

**"Next time…you'll be leavin' with me," he promised, his meaning clear.**

**oOo**

**_T__o be continued…_**

_**Next week: Time for some Logan lovin'…**_


	8. Chapter 8

**WIP**

**"Resistance"**

**_Copyright 200__8 Penn O'Hara_**

_**T**_

_**Usual disclaimers apply.**_

**_LOCI Timeline: __During Season Seven._**

**_My__ LOCI Timeline: Post "Past Sins"._**

**oOo**

_**Previously on "Resistance"…**_

_**Watkins folded her arms across her chest, eyeing Logan defiantly. "Now you wanted to see my boys about something? Though how you think I could set two little boys on—" **_

_**Logan clamped down on a curl of temper. "Not them. The youths that assaulted Carolyn," he gritted.**_

_**Watkins spread her hands out. "There's only Jeremiah and Benton and myself here. You're not welcome to look, but I can assure you—" She started to close the door.**_

_**Logan moved in close, leaning his hip against the door jamb before she could shut him out. "The only thing you can assure me of is that you'll keep the hell away from Carolyn. If you got a beef, you take it up with me. Understand?"**_

_**Looking up at him from under heavy lids, Watkins pressed her lips together. "I suggest you leave, Detective. You've overstayed your welcome." **_

**"_And you've overstepped your mark." Logan bent closer, bringing himself down to her level. _**

**"_Next time…you'll be leavin' with me," he promised, his meaning clear._**

**Chapter Eight**

**As Logan pulled his car into the gutter across the road from Major Case, he saw Carolyn on the pavement outside the building waving to someone, before disappearing back through the entrance. With a quick glance ahead he spotted what looked like Goren and Eames' SUV pull out and join the traffic ahead. Swinging out of his sedan, he dodged traffic to hurriedly cross the busy street, intent on reaching Carolyn.**

**Catching up with her in the elevator, he held her at arms' length, checking her over, wanting to assure himself she was okay.**

**"Babe? I don't want you out on your own. I told Falacci to keep you with her till I got back!"**

**Carolyn stiffened, her eyes firing. "I'm not an infant, Mike."**

**He held her to him, bracing himself for her rebuttal and resistance. He knew she wouldn't want to be wrapped in cotton wool, but he didn't care. He was looking out for two of them now. And if that's what it took…**

**"I was only seeing Alex off," she snapped, struggling in his arms. He held her fast until her rigid body melted and she became warm and giving against him. Logan still didn't understand this power he had over her, didn't quite believe it even, or what he had done to deserve it.**

**His mouth against her hair, he felt his own body respond to her surrender. "Let's go home. I'll call Falacci from the car."**

**Her nod against his shoulder was all the encouragement he needed.**

**oOo**

**Following Carolyn into their apartment, Logan watched her with concern. She'd been quiet and uncommunicative in the car journey home, shutting him out. He understood she was unnerved by Watkins' petty behavior and wished he could do more.**

**"Can I get you something? You hungry?" he asked when she stopped in the middle of the living room.**

**"I need a shower," Carolyn said quietly, almost vaguely, looking around the room.**

**"Need a hand?" Logan asked as he discarded his suit coat at the hat stand, hopeful but, given her current mood, not expecting an affirmative.**

**Carolyn took a few steps toward the bedroom then halted, looking down the hall, then back at him, her frown clearing a little. "Yeah," she nodded. "Okay."**

**Her unexpected consent held him flat-footed, but not for long.**

**oOo**

**Carolyn sighed deeply as she stood before him in the bathroom, her eyes closed, head thrown back, giving him the pleasure of unbuttoning her shirt and pushing down her skirt.**

**"I should… be fixin' you… something to eat," he said distracted by the sight and feel of her smooth heated skin.**

**"Later," Carolyn murmured. Her eyes still shut, she made no effort to move or help him.. "Right now, I…I just wanna be loved…"**

**Logan's body quickened at the invitation, his hands eager to pull her to him, but he held back, cautious of the strange vulnerability he sensed about her. Undressing her reverently, mindful of the new life within her, he tried to make light of the ugly bruise above her hip by caressing it with his fingers then kissing it with his mouth. He blocked out the surge of anger the sight of it caused him, vowing to extract more information from her later. At this moment, her bidding was for him to love her, and he was only too happy to oblige.**

**Her hands arrested him, framing his face, and he feared he had hurt her, but she merely guided his lips across her stomach and lower. He feathered her skin with his mouth, and felt her goosebump under his tongue and breath. The taste and scent of her was his undoing, sending him into a frenzy where tenderness and finesse was forgotten in the need to push her to a limit he was fast reaching himself. His fingers knew by now the exact pressure she liked and where, his mouth the pleasure points that craved his attention, his tongue the strength that elicited a cascade of moans from her then drove a cry of pleasure from her throat as she stood before him, trembling and submissive.**

**Her hands raking his scalp, she urged him to do more, but he was fit to burst and desperately needed to be a part of her. Lifting her from her feet, he carried her into the shower.**

**"Undress me, babe," he ordered, disguising painful want with an attempt at command.**

**She made short work of his shirt and trousers, tossing them out of the cubicle while he fumbled with the faucets, too intent on kissing and caressing her to spend much thought on water temperature. The heated jet of water slammed against his back as he lifted her and guided her onto him.**

**She keened, froze, then melted around him…**

**The evil that was Watkins evaporated in the purity of the love that each of them offered the other.**

**oOo**

**Propping himself up on the headboard of their bed, Logan pulled Carolyn into his side, tucked her head under his chin, and wrapped his arms around her. Still heated from their lovemaking, he didn't bother with any covers; it was enough with her naked body warming his.**

**"Babe, I want you to tell me how this…" He indicated the wound at her hip. "…happened."**

**She shook her head and drew his mouth to hers. "Later," she whispered. "I want more."**

**Though sorely tempted, Logan resisted her command, suspecting she was trying to shut him out again and he wasn't above some bribery of his own. Bending into her, he kissed her thoroughly, then reluctantly broke away and attempted to look sternly at her.**

**"How 'bout you tell me what happened, then I tell you where I went this afternoon."**

**She looked away, eyes down. "It's over, Mike. Let's leave it at that." Snuggling back into his side, she rubbed her face against his chest and slid a hand across his hip, stirring his body back to life.**

**Clamping down on his urges, Logan grabbed her teasing hand and brought it to his lips. "No, I wanna know what happened."**

**Ignoring him, she tongued the skin stretched over his ribs and he shivered, then nipped her finger in reproach. "Talk, woman!"**

**She growled against his chest. "Geezus, you're a bastard—"**

**"Tenacious," he supplied, undaunted by the insult.**

**"Bloody-minded."**

**He pulled back, peering down at her. "Where'd ya get that from?"**

**She shrugged. "I heard it somewhere…"**

**"This character defamation still isn't gettin' you out of telling me what happened." He kissed the top of her head, not so much for encouragement but because he couldn't seem to keep his mouth from her.**

**"When…" she began, "when I got to work…there was a…_freakin'_ muffin—"**

**"Hey babe, don't suddenly hold yourself back with the swearin'. You haven't been lately," he reminded her.**

**"Yeah, well I don't always have to bring myself down to your level."**

**Logan pretended to study the ceiling, making a show of thinking hard. "Now if I recall, back there in the bathroom, you were _beggin' _me at your level—"**

**She swatted him and he laughed.**

**"Do you wanna hear what happened or not?" she demanded, and he nodded, making a bad effort at playing it sober.**

**"There was a muffin on my desk. A _fucking_ muffin…" She emphasized the word in defiance of his amusement. "…on my desk. I…I saw red. I'd had enough of Watkins' crap. I…I over-reacted. That's all."**

**She jerked as if annoyed with herself, rearranging her hips across his and he gritted his teeth, forcing himself not to react. She was doing this deliberately and he wasn't going to let her get away with it.**

**"There's more to it than that," he prompted.**

**"I threw it at a wall. Moran saw me…and came out…He was okay 'bout it. Told me to go home and call you—"**

**"_Which _you didn't. Why am I not surprised?"**

**"There was no way I was gonna go home without giving Chesley Watkins a piece of my mind!" She quietened again after the outburst. "…but she'd left the shop for the day. I decided to keep walking…just to cool down a bit…but I got this sense of… someone followin' me. By the time I'd done a block, I was convinced of it. I could almost _feel_ him behind me."**

**She hugged him to her and Logan's amusement evaporated. Carolyn was no neurotic. If she thought someone was following her, she wasn't imagining it. His jaw tightened and his body tensed, seeking an outlet for a delayed sense of impotence.**

**"Each time I looked, there was a black youth behind me, but each time it was a different one, like they were…were tag-teaming me." She pulled away from him. "Mike…don't. I can feel you simmering—"**

**"_Fuck, Carolyn! _You were vulnerable and I wasn't there!" He launched himself out of the bed and prowled the room.**

**"This is why I didn't wanna tell you!" she cried, her gaze following his frustrated steps. "You can't be with me every minute of the day!"**

**"Okay, okay," he threw out his hands, "you're right. Go on…" He made a concerted effort to dial it back and rejoined her on the bed, holding her hand and looking intently into her face.**

**She eyed him suspiciously. "When…when I'd had enough and confronted the last guy harassin' me, a pushbike…came out of nowhere and side-swiped me. I didn't see a thing! Only his back as he sped off ahead. By the time I turned back to the other youth, he was gone too."**

**His jaw working over another outburst, Logan made an effort to clothe himself in his detective persona, trying to remain objective. "What sort of bike was it?"**

**She shook her head. "I gave all the details to Falacci. A description of the rider, what I saw of him and the ones following me, too. Don't know what good it will do us. I…I haven't told anyone else. Not even Alex. I didn't want to worry her. She's got enough on her plate with Bobby…"**

**Logan wasn't worrying about Bobby right now. The man could look after himself. Carolyn was _his _concern, _his_ responsibility. "Next time, you take me, okay?" he ordered. "No more goin' after Watkins on your own."**

**"Okay," she nodded meekly, making him suspicious, rather than relieved. "So, where'd _you_ go?"**

**Settling back onto the bed, Logan pulled her into his side. He looked through the bedroom window into a night illuminated by a fat moon and New York lights. A lock of Carolyn's hair was draped across his waist and he started fingering it, testing its smooth texture and teasing its curl. "I _did _go and see Watkins."**

**"But—!?"**

**"At her house," he inserted quickly. "She still lives at the same place. She's still lookin' after kids, Carolyn."**

**Pushing herself against his chest, Carolyn looked at him in shock. "But Social Services wouldn't—"**

**"She's baby-sittin'. Guess she put out feelers in the neighborhood. After-school care…" He rearranged his limbs on the bed, restive to curtail Watkins' latest venture. "I gotta do somethin' about that. That woman's not fit to raise a dog."**

**"What happened? Did she let you in?"**

**He shook his head and grimaced. "Nah, she's smarter than that. But she didn't get rid of me easily. She denied knowin' anything about the pushbike assault. I warned her off again, but I don't think that's the end of her nuisance factor. She's out to make trouble."**

**"She can try."**

**"I don't want you takin' her on, Carolyn. Leave 'er to me. It's me she wants to hit out at." He looked down at her, his face set, making certain she knew he meant what he said.**

**"I don't like being the victim."**

**"I know. But right now..." He didn't dare finish with an 'in your condition' but she was smart enough to work it out for herself.**

**"_I'm not helpless either!"_**

**She pulled away in a temper and he threw his arms wide, frowning in frustration as she presented her back to him, lying huddled on her side of the bed.**

**"Carolyn…"**

**"Night, Mike. I'm tired, okay?" she mumbled.**

**He watched her, careful not to push her, but not wanting to her to full asleep on such a sour note. Pulling the bedcovers up over them, Logan reached out and killed the bedside light. Laying a tentative hand on Carolyn's hip, he felt her tense against his caress. Letting his hand slide off, he turned onto his back and stared up at the ceiling.**

**His last waking memory was a picture of his hands around Chesley Watkins' throat, cheerfully throttling the life out of her, her eyes no longer shrewd and superior, her face fearful and cowed.**

**oOo**

_**to be continued…**_


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